


Time after Time

by Ave Estrella (Averli)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Best Friends, Gen, M/M, Other, Short Story, Trust, War, bff, morreyeson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-29
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-28 19:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19400395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Averli/pseuds/Ave%20Estrella
Summary: (Set mainly in 2076). Jack and Gabriel, miles apart, reflect on the past and realize their bond will never break.





	Time after Time

**Author's Note:**

> Here are the top songs this short story was heavily inspired by (in order of reference, mostly). I even incorporate some lyrics from them into the story. I greatly recommend giving them a listen, possibly while reading (though my story is short, rip).
> 
> Your Starry Eyes - Parabelle  
> Gabriel - Bear's Den  
> Watching Over Me - Thousand Foot Krutch  
> Time After Time - Quietdrive
> 
> Honorable mention: Wherever You Are - Deepfield.
> 
> I may edit/polish this story some more later, but it's alright right now so I decided to go ahead and publish.
> 
> I'm no pro writer, please excuse my mistakes in format, grammar, etc. :x

####  **_Devoción_ **

⚜

_**~2071 A.D., the Fall of Overwatch~** _

_"Why did you do it, Gabriel? We talked about the infiltration plan and decided it was too dangerous to initiate right now!" Jack shook his head, fuming._  
  
 _"It had to be done soon, Jack, you don't understand!"_  
  
 _Jack rolled his eyes. "I understand plenty." He set his jaw angrily. "You. Didn't. Listen."_  
  
 _Gabriel sighed, annoyed. "Jack, I heard you! But things changed-"_  
  
 _"It doesn't matter!" Jack shook his head and stepped up to him menacingly, pointing his finger at him. "You should've told me before you did anything!"_  
  
 _Gabriel turned around, shaking his head and running a hand over his face. "I didn't have to." He faced Jack again, eyes full of fire and voice louder. "You don't have to know all that Blackwatch does. It works best that way!"_  
  
 _Jack shook his head in disbelief. "No. Gabriel, it **doesn't**!"_  
  
 _Gabriel gritted his teeth, grabbing the Strike Commander by the front of his jacket. "You don't control Blackwatch. Stay out of it," He spat, forcefully letting go._  
  
 _Jack narrowed his eyes. "Blackwatch is currently suspended, now who did that?" He raised his voice even more. "You obey **my** orders, Reyes!"_  
  
 _Gabriel clenched his fists._  
  
 _An alarm suddenly began blaring loudly. The commanders glanced around quickly. A muffled explosion sounded, then another, and another, each shaking the floor more than the last. The ceiling began crumbling. They locked eyes, the flashing red lights reflecting like stars. Unspoken apologies replaced the anger._  
  
 _A deafening sound like thunder, a blinding flash of white light, then pitch darkness._  
  
••

_**~2076 A.D.~** _

  
Jack jerked awake, eyes darting around in alarm. Moonlight filtered through the cutout window and lit the room. He sighed and slowed his breathing as he sat up, rubbing his face.  
  
It was a dream; a memory, a shadow cast from the light. He looked up at the moon, remembering all they said, and regretting his every word. He slowly lowered his eyes, following the moon's pale rays across a worn photograph of three soldiers.  
  
Gabriel had known what he was doing. If he said the infiltration needed to begin then it did. He should've trusted him... Jack closed his eyes and hung his head. It was a petty argument. The Overwatch days were some of the best he'd ever had, because of Gabriel. And though he could tell near the end that the light in Gabriel was burning out, he was still the reason he made it through the countless days of meetings and paperwork and negotiations.  
  
Jack opened his eyes as he raised his head, gaze landing on Gabriel in the faded photo. So many thoughts ran through his head. He wondered if Gabriel ever thought of him. Did he miss him? Did he even care? Had he looked for him but eventually stopped searching? He knew Gabriel so well. Now he just wanted the chance to know him again.  
  
He sighed, turning the photo over. Cursive caught his eye and he then remembered the words Gabriel had written on it, reading them again. _"Jack, I care. I've got you. Just call. :) ♥"_

_He breathed out, smiling for the first time in years._

_**~Many miles away~** _

Gabriel sighed, and glanced at the clock. 4:36am. He had woken up not long ago and was unable to fall back asleep, yet again. He rolled over, listening to the wall clock tick and was suddenly reminded of the Overwatch days. At the beginning, him and Jack shared a room and talked late into the night about anything and everything, as the clock ticked later and later. Then their jobs changed. Jack was posted in Switzerland and Gabriel in Italy. They still talked everyday, and Gabriel knew he was a large part of the reason Jack survived the overwhelming stress of his position, just as Jack was the reason Gabriel didn't go crazy in the black ops division.  
  
Gabriel had the tendency to get ahead of things often, creating intricate plans long before they were needed, thinking often of the future. Jack would gently pull him back, keep him grounded. Gabriel also became jaded after so long of dealing with the "dirty work." Yes, it's cliché, but Jack was the light in the darkness of Gabriel's job.  
  
There was a photograph taken the day their jobs changed. It was him, Jack, and Ana. Neither he nor Jack looked the happiest in it. They all had a copy. Jack kept his on his desk all those decades, as a reminder of who had his back, who he was doing this for.  
  
Gabriel turned to the other side of the bed and sat up slightly. He pulled open the drawer in the bedside table and took out his copy of the photograph. He knew each of their identical photos had faded, some more than others.  
  
He glanced out the window, the dark sky was turning a light grey as the sun rose. Somewhere far away Jack watched the same sunrise, stared at the same photograph, and wondered if Gabriel was okay.  
  
He was, mostly. Though he was currently going in circles looking for Jack, the trail confusing him. This, along with the many Talon missions he had to foil without getting caught and the overall stress of the infiltration was getting to him. He didn't have his anchor this time.  
  
Gabriel absentmindedly turned the photo over, the devotedly scribbled words he just now remembered caught his eye. _"Gabe, slow down. It's alright, I've got you. =) ♥"_ Time rewound by decades, it was as years ago. Gabriel closed his eyes and sighed calmly. He was grounded once more.  
  
Jack always came through, time after time.  
  
⚜

_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me_   
_Time after time_   
_If you fall, I will catch you; I'll be waiting_   
_Time after time_


End file.
